New American Playwrights Project Comes To Utah Shakespeare Fest 8/11-9/2

The 19th annual New American Playwrights Project (NAPP) takes the stage at the Utah Shakespeare Festival August 11 to September 2. Three plays will be presented as staged readings in the Auditorium Theatre at 10 a.m. on selected dates. Selected from hundreds of plays submitted, this year's lineup includes Lying to Speilberg by Bill Nabel, The Galt Regency by Judith Montague, and King of the Cats by Glenn Barrett.

Tickets are $8 a piece and are on sale now at 1-800-PLAYTIX and www.bard.org. "The main objective of the New American Playwrights Project is to develop the Shakespeare's of the future by workshopping new scripts with actors and directors from the Festival's summer company," said Chuck Metten, director of NAPP. "The staged-readings are then performed for Festival patrons for their feedback, all done to help the playwrights improve their work. It's great fun and very exciting to have living playwrights share the rehearsal and performance process with us."

Lying to Speilberg is about a holocaust survivor who is all set to have Steven Speilberg's Shoah foundation film his story of escape from a concentration camp. However, he receives a shocking visitor who challenges his story, his life and his Jewish legacy, which may compel him to - lie to Speilberg. Lying to Speilberg by Bill Nabel and directed by David Ivers will be presenTed August 11, 12, and 31 at 10 a.m. in the Auditorium Theatre. The Galt Regency follows the aftermath of President Woodrow Wilson's disastrous stroke after World War I. His wife, the former Edith Galt, locked herself in her husband's sickroom and effectively ran American for five months. This is the story of her brief reign as president-in-proxy that altered the course of history. The Galt Regency by Judith Montague and directed by Michael A. Harding will be presenTed August 18, 19 and September 1 at 10 a.m. in the Auditorium Theatre.

King of the Cats tells the moving story of the love affair between poet William Butler Yeats and revolutionary activist and actress Maud Gonne. Though their love for each other remains profound, his dedication to art and hers to violent revolution stands between them and forces them to make painful life choices. King of the Cats by Glenn Barrett and directed Charles L. Metten will be presenTed August 25, 26 and September 2 at 10 a.m. in the Auditorium Theatre.

Through the New American Playwrights Project, selected playwrights spend time at the Festival working on a new play with actors from the company, then present it to an audience, followed by discussion between the playwright, actors, and audience members. Intended to encourage the development of new plays, NAPP focuses on western playwrights, giving attention to western subjects, characters, experiences and themes. New plays featuring classical themes and subjects are occasionally chosen. The plays in this series are written for contemporary adult audiences and may occasionally contain themes and language not appropriate for children and that some may find offensive. The New American Playwrights Project is already accepting submissions for the 2012 season. For more information visit http://bard.org/plays/napp/submitting.html.